Nothing will be damaged and nothing regulates how the engine starts.
Your alternator won't charge since the blue signal wire gets no voltage.
The engine just needs the ignition-on voltage and the starter signal, both
of which come directly from the ignition switch.
-Hans

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Oxroad" <Oxroad@AOL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2007 9:19 PM
Subject: Will bus run without insturment pod connected?

>A hypothetical:
>
> Will a bus run with the instrument pod including the tach out of the
> vehicle?
> In addition to any other concerns which I haven't thought of, is there a
> problem with the "live" tach wire running to plug connector, if that
> plug/pin
> connector is attached to nothing.
>
> Could the "spark" or current possibly ground out from the tach wire to
> some
> metal or could the spark arch to an adjacent pin connector? Could this
> burn out
> the coil? Would one say NEVER attempt to start the vehicle with the
> instrument pod disconnected.
>
> Is there any power that runs to the pin connector and into the printed
> circuit of the insturment pod that would keep the engine from starting?
>
> (In related news I've noticed the digital clock will not operate with the
> headlight switch removed. I suppose this is old news.)
>
> Best,
> Jeff
> 83.5 Westy
> LA,CA
>